Ingredients:
3 lb. pork loin
1 lb carrots cut in strips
2 granny smith apples (optional) peeled, cored and sliced thickly
2 sweet potatoes peeled and sliced lengthwise
2 tbsp olive oil
1/3 cup dark brown sugar (such as Wholesome Dark Brown Sugar)
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp Italian seasoning (optional)
3 tbsp Dijon mustard (creamy and thick, such as Maille Dijon Mustard) 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon parsley (chopped, for decoration)
Instructions:
1. Cut carrots and sweet potatoes lengthwise. Add them to the bowl, add 2 tablespoons olive oil and mix well.
2. Slice peeled apples – but place them in a different bowl to be added later (optional step).
3. Place pork loin with fat layer on top in the middle of the baking sheet. Surround it with oiled up carrots and sweet potatoes. Do not add brown sugar or apples yet. My picture shows apples, but I took them out of the pan and added them after 30 minutes in the oven.
4. Season the pork loin and vegetables with spices evenly: 1 tsp sea salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp Italian seasoning (optional).
5. Generously brush the entire surface of the pork loin (except bottom) with Dijon mustard - 3 tablespoons. If your pork loin is smaller, use less.
6. Press 1⁄2 cup of dark brown sugar into the mustard, all over the roast.
7. Place the baking sheet in the oven and cook at 375 degrees F. Take it out after 30 minutes and sprinkle
the veggies with 1/3 cup of brown sugar.
8. Adding apples (optional step): Add sliced apples at this point.
9. Return the roast to the oven and continue cooking for about 20-30 more minutes or until the internal temperature hits between 145 (pink roast) to 155 degrees F (white roast) on a meat thermometer. The total cooking time for the roast of this size ends up being 50 minutes to 1 hour and that does not include resting time of 10 minutes! See below.
10. Important! Keep in mind that large cuts like this pork loin increase in temperature approximately 10° F. while resting. Which means that if you are aiming for 160 F, remove them from the heat at 150° F. followed by a 10 minute rest.
11. Let the roast rest for 10 minutes before carving and serving. Once again, remove it prior to desired target temperature to avoid the pork drying out.
12. The pork will continue "cooking" while resting. This will also allow the juices in the meat to settle down and stay in the meat when you slice it.
